Fur cutting machine



lVlay 31, 1932- R. H. PLASS FUR CUTTING MACHINE Filed June 20, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR May 31, 1932.

R. H. PLASS FUR CUTTING MACHINE Filed Jun 20', 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 y 31, 1932 R. H. PLASS FUR CUTTING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 20; 1931 xw H hi wN v, Q h

Patented May 31, 1932 UNITED fSTAiE S; rArsNr OFFICE:

' R B RT H-JLASSnQF UPPER TMQN QLAI JER ,v SSIGNQR J-IH C A TAE E J A CQ'R EQ A'ElQN O N I QB-PQBATJLON; E NEWARK,

, Application filed June 20,

to remove fur from the skin thereof; and the invention has reference, more particularly,

i tomeans for preventing turbulent vair cur rents .at the cutting point of the machine which, if uncontrolled, result in both sucking away with skin slivers or chips valuable pro portions of the severed, fur and the blowing of suc'h'severed'fur into the surrounding atmosphere, all of which results in considerable =-wasteof fur andqsubstantially diminishes the available severed fur output of the machine.

Fur-cutting machines, as commonly used in the hat manufacturing industry, comprise a rapidly rota-ted cutting. drum carrying radially projecting cutting blades which cooperatewith a stationarybed knife over which the pelts are fed, so that as chips or slivers of skinare cut from the pelts, the fur willbe severed therefrom to fall or be carried away from the exteriorside of the bed' knjife, Usually the cutting drum is env closed acoVering casing or hood. Owing to the rapidrevolution of the cutting blades, the same act upon-the air within the casing or-hood in the manner of impeller blades, resulting in-more or less forceful displacement of'air with consequent productionof uncontrolled air currents or eddies in the vicinityoflthe becl knife. Such air currents or eddies tend to disturb the severed hair, bothblow'ing the same about and sucking the-same into the hood 1:0 be discharged as waste with the skin chips or-slivers, all of which results in no inconsiderable loss of severed fur and wastefu-lly diminishes the available fur output of the machine;

It is the principal object of this invention to provide means calculatedto' prevent tur bulent-and fur-disturbing air currents and eddies inthe vicinity of the cutting point of the -machine; and to this end the invention provides a novel construction; and arrangementofcasing-or hood for enclosing the -rotary cutting drum of the machine, saidwcasing. or hood having -means for discharging air :currents produced by the revolving cutiilgihladesiof said drum inesuch manner and we CUTTING MACHINE;

1931 Serial No. 545,793.

in such relation to the cutting point ofthe machine, that turbulent air currents and eddies in the vicinity of the cutting point of the machine are substantially prevented, so that undesired disturbance and uncontrolled displacement of severed fur to be discharged from the machine is avoided, and conse quently a maximum output of severed'fur is attained during operation of the machine with minimum of waste or lost fur.

tion through the same; and Fig. tis an en larged fragmentary vertical longitudinal section to illustrate the mode of operation thereof when cutting fur from a pelt. Similar characters of reference areemcate corresponding parts.

Referring to. said drawings, the reference charzicterfi indicates the side frames of a fur cutting machine, in which are formed bear ing members 6 ,to journalthe drive shaft "7 of a cutting drum 8. Cooperating with said bearing members 6 are bearing caps 9. j EX ployed in theabovedescribed views to indi tending between said side frames 5, adjacent to the forward'side of said cutting drum 8, i's suitable bed-knife support 10 having a suit able clamp-plate 11. Adjust-ably. mounted is a bed-knife 12 having an upwardly pro jected cutting edge extending acrossthe for; ward side ofsaidcutting drum 8; Said cut ting drum is provided with a plurality of cira cumferentially spaced, radially projecting cutting blades 13, the cutting edges of which Other o'bjectsof this invention, not at this i vbetween said support 10 and clamp-platell are moved "by the rotation of the cutting drum in downward passingishearing con tact with and relationto the cuttingedge of said bed-knife 12. Said cutting drum 8 may be driven, at high speed, through its shaft 7 from any suitable source of power and by suitable transmission means (not shown). The cutting blades 13 are preferably of the helical form usually employed in fur cuttin machines.

fournaled in and extending between side plates 14, which are connected with said side frames 5 to form parts of the machine framework. are parallel shafts 15 and 16, which respectively carry the members of a pair of pelt feed rollers 17 and 18. Said feed rollers are disposed to lie in front of and adjacent to the cutting edge of said bed-knife 12, so as to grip and advance a pelt over the latter, and subject to the cutting action of the cutting blades 13 of the rotating cutting drum 8. Said shafts 15-16 are intergeared for opposite rotation of the feed rollers 17-18 by gearing 1.9, and one of said shafts, as 15, is suitably driven at desired speed from a source of power by transmission gearing, shown in part at 20.

Arranged to extend over and enclose the upper part of said cutting drum 8 is a caslng or hood, the same comprising end-plates 21, cut away at 22 to bridge over the shaft 7 adjacent to the ends of the cutting drum, and further cut away at 23 to extend over and clear the feed rollers 1718. Extending between said end-plates 21 above and around the upper side of the cutting drum is a casing top 24 of substantially semi-cylmdrical shape, and disposed substantially concentric to the axis of said cutting drum 8. The forward margin of said casing top 24 terminates above and spaced from the feed rollers 17-18, so as to provide an air escape opening 25 above the cutting point of the ma chine. Secured to and extending between the upper portions of said end plates 21, is an auxiliary casing comprising a top wall 26 which is spaced above said casing top 24, and a back wall 27 which joins and is secured to said casing top 24. The interior of said auxiliary casing provides an air discharge chamber 28. Formed in said back wall 27 is a discharge opening 29 which communicates with a conduit 30. Said conduit 30 is, inoperation, preferably connected with an air exhaust fan or pump (not shown). Connected with and extending between the forward margins of the upper portions of said endplates 21, is a deflector plate 31, the marginal portion 32 of which is in-turned to pass over the feed rollers 1718, with its inner edge spaced from and somewhat inwardly offset from the forward edge of said casing top 24 to form with the latter said air escape opening 25. The marginal portion 32 of the defiector plate 31 projects into the path of air movement within the casing24 as induced by the revolution of the cutting blades 13, whereby the forwardly driven air is large- 1y deflected and vented through the escape opening 25 before it reaches the vicinity of the front opening contiguous to the cutting point of the machine. Depending from said inner edge of said marginal portion 32 of deflector plate 31, is a skirt flange 33 which terminates close to the upper feed roller 18 and which forms an air stop or baifle. The upper portion 34 of said deflector plate 31 is secured to the front margins of said endplates 21, but preferably terminates short of the front margin of said auxiliary casing top wall 26, to provide an air intake opening 31 leading into the interior of said air discharge chamber 28 above said air escape opening 25.

Said casing or hood is adj ustably related to the frame work of the machine, so as to be ca- )able of being positioned to conform to adjusted relations of the cutting drum 8 and feed rollers 16-17. To this end said casing or hood is slidably movable forward and backward upon the side frames 5. To effect such movements, and to retain the casing or hood in the position to which it has been adjusted by given movement thereof, said end plates 21 are provided with rearwardly extending arms 36 having upwardly indented yoke slots 37. Fixed upon the rearward portions of said side frame 5 is a transversely disposed bridge plate 38, the end portions of which respectively overhang the respective side frames 5. Slidably supported for longitudinal movement along the underside of the overhanging ends of said bridge plate 38 are slide-pieces 39 having upwardly projecting perforate bearing arms 40 at their forward ends. Said slide-pieces 39 are supported by bolts 41, which extend through slots 42 therein, to screw into said bridge plate ends. Fixed to and extending between said arms 40 of the slide-pieces is a cross-bar 43 over which are engaged said yoke slots 37 of the arms 36 of the casing or hood end plates, thereby coupling said casing or hood to said slide-pieces. Secured to said brid e plate 38 are depending perforate lugs 44 t rough which respectively extend screw shanks 45 which respectively project from the rearward ends of said slide-pieces 39. Threaded on said screw shanks 45 respectively on opposite sides of said lugs 44 are adjusting nuts 46 and 47. To adjustingly move the casing or hood forwardly. the nuts 47 are loosened or turned back from the lugs 44 whereupon the nuts 463are screwed onward to move the slide-pieces forward and thus transmit through cross-bar 43 forward adjusting movement to the casing or hood. To adj ustingly move the casing or hood rearwardly, the nuts 46 are screwed back away from lugs 44, and the nuts 47 screwed for wardly on the screw shanks to draw rear wardly the slide pieces and the connected casing or hood. The casing or hood is also ca terior sides of the casing or hood end plates 21. Threaded on said posts 48 are supporting nuts 49 which supportingly bear against the underside of shoulder projections 50 which extend outwardly from said end plates 21. Said posts 48 have threaded shanks 51 7 of reduced diameter to receive keeper nuts 52 which may be screwed down against the top of the casing or hood to hold the same in suchadjusted position as may be determined by the supportingnuts 49.

In the operationof the machine, the pelt, fur side down, is passed between the feed rollers 1718 which grip and advance the same toward the bed-knife 12, the fur being combed or laid back by the forward movement of the pelt, whereby the bases of the fur filaments are exposed to the cutting action of the revolving cutting blades 13, which,

as the same pass shearingly along the bedknife 12, operate to sheer off a sliver or chip of the pelt skin, thereby at the same time severing from the skin sliver or chip the fur filaments close to their roots.

7 Owing to the rapid rotation of the cutting drum 8, the projecting cutting blades 13, revolved thereby, drive the air confined within the casing, by which the cutting drum is usually enclosed, toward the front opening through which the pelt is introduced across the bed-knife. Such enforced air movement produces strong and turbulent air currents and eddies, which tend, forcefully, both to puif out through said front opening, and at times create sucking effects at such point, all i of which tends to more or less disturb the severed fur, blowing some externally away into the atmosphere about the machine, and sucking some with the skin chips and scrap interiorly into the casing, all of which de pletes the normal output of the machine and results in no inconsiderable waste of fur.

By means of the novel hood structure according to the present invention, the undesirable turbulent air currents, especially at the opening contiguous to the bed-knife, are prevented, and waste of fur avoided. This novel hood structure functions as follows 7 As air confinedwithin the cutting drum compartment is driven forwardly by the revolving cutting blades 13, the major portion of such air infringes upon the deflector plate 31 and is diverted through the escape opening 25 before it reaches the vicinity of the front opening through which the pelt is passed to the cutting point of the machine. In this manner, the air is controlled, and

to eliminate risk of disturbingasevered I whereby the latter ,is' permitted tofallifreely away from the cutting point so as to;becol-.

lected for use in any suitable manners. In this wayloss or waste of fur is substantially avoided, and the operationxof the -mac-hine is brought to high efficiency, resulting in maximum output of severed fur. v a

I Preferably the air discharged through-the escape opening 2571's passed upwardlyinto; the air discharge chamber 28, and since this air usually contains more or; less dust, which is produced by operation on the pelts, the suc tion applied, to the conduit 30, by a suitably driven. fan or pump, not shown, serves to carry away such dustladen air and prevents the; same from being dischargedeinto; the room in which the machine or machines aa e oper ated. Preferably the air discharge chain-s ber 28 is provided with the intake opening 35 open to the atmosphere, so that a certain amount of air is drawn through thisopening into .and'through the discharge cham-v er 28, thus preventing unduesuction efi'ect at the air escape opening25,anclthereby avoiding undue agitation or insuc-king of air; at the front opening of the machine below the escape opening 25. i a a As .the knives of the cutting drum wear, making necessary the customary relative ad.-,- justments of cutting drum, bed-plate and feed rollers, the hood structure may likewise be adjusted to conformto the adjusted positions of these parts by the above described: hood adjusting mechanism provided for the purposes I am aware that many changes could be; made in the above described structures, as wellE-as in the details ofthe ;cons tr\ uction thereof, without departingfrom the scopeof;

this invention :as defined in, the appended claims; it is therefore-intended :thatallmab ter contained in the above descr ption or,

shown in the accompanyingdrawings shah:

be interpreted as illustrativetand; not in a l1m1t1ng sense. I j I 1. In a fur cutting machine, includingaa rotatable cutting drum, cooperatingQbe dknife and pelt feed means; an enclosing hoiod structure for said cutting drum. having .a front opening contiguous to said bed-knife and feed means to give; accessto a peltfed to the bed-knife by said feed means, means providing an'air escape opening in-advance of said front opening, and means to deflect air impelled toward said'ffront openingyby said cutting drum through said escape open ing.

2. In a fur cutting im achine, including a rotatable cutting drum, cooperating bedknife and a pelt feed means; an enclosing hood structure for said cutting drum. having a front opening contiguousto said bed-knife and feed means to give'access to a pelt fed to the former by the latter, said hood structure having an air escape opening in advance of saidfront opening, and a deflector means bounding one side of said opening and projec-ting into the path of air moved toward said front opening by said cutting drum.

3. Ina fur cutting machine, including a rotatable cutting drum, cooperating bedknife and pelt feed means; an enclosing hood structure for said cutting drum having a front opening contiguous to said bed-knife and feed means to give access to a pelt fed to the former by the latter, said hood structure having an air escape opening in advance of said front opening, a deflector means bounding one side of said escape opening, and means providing an air suction chamber to which said deflector means leads to connect said escape opening in communication therewith.

4. In a fur cutting machine, including a rotatable cutting drum, cooperating bedknife and pelt feed means; an enclosing hood structure for said cutting drum having a front opening contiguous to said bed-knife and feed means to give access to a pelt fed to the former by..the latter, said hood structure having an air escape opening in advance of said front opening, a deflector means bounding one side of said escape opening, means providing an air suction chamber to which said deflector means leads to connect said escape opening in communication therewith, and said air suction chamber having an air intake open to the atmosphere to modify the suction effect at said escape opening 5. In an enclosing hood structure for fur cutting machines as defined in claim 1, means for adjustin said hood according to relative adjusted positions of the fur cutting and pelt feeding mechanism.

6. In an enclosing hood structure for fur cuttin machines as defined in claim 2, means for a justing said hood according to relative adjusted positions of the fur cutting and pelt feeding mechanism.

7. u an enclosing hood structure for fur cutting machines as defined in claim 3, means for adjustin said hood according to relative adjusted positions of the fur cutting and pelt feeding mechanisms.

8. In an enclosing hood structure for fur cuttin machines as defined in claim 4, means for ad usting said hood according to relative adjusted positions of the fur cutting and pelt feeding mechanisms.

In testimony, that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereunto set my hand this 9th day of June, 1931.

, ROBERT H. PLASS. 

